


SURVIV3

by Monobrobe



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, New Dangan Ronpa V3: Everyone's New Semester of Killing
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon-Typical Keebo Abuse, Canon-Typical Violence, Gen, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Please don’t kill me for using localized nicknames and catchphrases, Rantaro doesn’t die in chapter 1, Self-Esteem Issues, Spoilers for Endgame, first name basis
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-08
Updated: 2018-01-27
Packaged: 2019-03-02 00:19:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13306404
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Monobrobe/pseuds/Monobrobe
Summary: So much for no one interfering with his plans. But perhaps that was a good thing, since he almost got his head caved in by a shot put ball.





	1. Chapter 1 - Part 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there’s tons of fics about how the chapter 1 trial could’ve ended differently... but I have yet to see anyone make a fic where Rantaro doesn’t die at all. I thought I’d try my hand at it.
> 
> Unfortunately, there are a lot of restrictions which will make this incredibly difficult to write while staying true to the nature of Dangan Ronpa.
> 
> Well, lemme get some things out of the way first. While I’m following the localization, there are a few changes they made that I will undo, but I’ll talk about those in the end notes.
> 
> Now, those restrictions... I’ll try to keep it as brief as possible.
> 
> I will not swear. I’m sure you’re questioning everything with that. I know. It’s not my fault the characters in this franchise are so likeable. Anyways. While I won’t swear, I will not do anything so childish like c*ns*ring w*rds l*ke th*s. Unless you’re okay with that. That’d be cool. Now how am I gonna deal with Miu? I... do have a little something. It’ll either be funny or really stupid.  
> I will also avoid having things happen where it doesn’t feel right NOT to swear. As long as I feel I can reasonably get away with not swearing, it’ll be fine.  
> Profanity in general is off limits. So... like... 90% of Miu’s dialogue.  
> Anyways, I just wanted to let you guys know the ground rules for writing this fic. I know this is fiction so technically I’m not the one saying these things, but I also don’t want them to become things I get used to typing, y’know?  
> So, yeah. Please enjoy. I promise it’ll be a ride. Whether or not it’s a good one is a different story...

“Rantaro, look out!”

So much for no one interfering with his plans. But perhaps that was a good thing, since he almost got his head caved in by a shot put ball.

As he turned around to see who his savior was, he caught a glimpse of the hidden door closing.

“Rantaro!” As it turned out, his savior was Keebo, the Ultimate Robot. He appeared to be panicking enough for both of them. “A-are you okay!? Are you injured!?”

Rantaro blinked. Did Keebo follow him out of concern for his safety? “Not a scratch on me.” He tried to laugh it off, but of course Keebo failed to find the humor in this situation. “I’m fine, honestly—“

Suddenly, the front doors burst open, and four people rushed into the room: Shuichi Saihara, Kaede Akamatsu, Kaito Momota, and Tenko Chabashira. Judging by the looks on their faces, they came here looking for the mastermind, too. All four pairs of eyes landed on him and Keebo. And then, chaos.

“Th-there’s _two_ masterminds!?”

“Wh-what are you two doing here? Where’s the mastermind?”

“They’re not here.”

“Um, everyone?” Keebo attempted to get the confused students to stop fighting, but his voice was too soft to hear.

“Aren’t you the mastermind?”

“Do you really think I’d admit that if I was?”

“Answer the question, degenerate!”

“Calm down, everyone...” Keebo made another attempt, but he was still ignored.

The conversation, if you could even call it that, continued to go in circles. Keebo kept trying to get everyone to stop fighting, but his polite demeanor didn’t help him much. Finally, he got fed up and shouted.

“HEY! LISTEN!” The robot surprised even himself with the forceful tone he was using, and as everyone turned to look at him, he quickly added, “please?”

“U-umm...” Keebo was at a loss for words. It seemed he wasn’t used to being the center of attention. Either that, or he was embarrassed by his outburst. He found his voice eventually. “W-we have less than an hour before the time limit expires. We shouldn’t be fighting like this.”

The five other students looked at each other.

“He’s right.” Rantaro said. “We should be figuring out what to do now.”

Shuichi, unusually assertive, looked between Rantaro and Keebo. “Did either of you notice anything unusual?”

“I-I just followed Rantaro and saw the shot put ball fall next to him.” Keebo admitted. For some reason, when he mentioned the shot put ball, Kaede’s face paled.

“Shot put ball?”

“We can worry about that later. Time’s running out, so we need to come up with a plan.” Rantaro cut in, steering the conversation in the right direction. “When I turned around after Keebo called out to me, I saw the door behind the bookcase close. Since Keebo was also here, I’m sure you understand what that means.” The detective probably wouldn’t take his word for it, but it was the best he could do for now.

Shuichi decided to check the door for himself. The bookcase concealing it had returned to its original spot, so he had to open it up again. He checked the card reader for something, and then looked back to Rantaro.

“The mastermind was already in there.” Shuichi concluded. “Meaning there has to be another entrance.”

“But... isn’t it possible that this person just got here sooner than Rantaro did?” Keebo inquired.

“No. The card reader still has the dust I placed, which means that no one has used it yet.” Shuichi explained. “Besides, Kaede and I were also keeping watch, and we never saw anyone aside from Kaito’s group... and you, of course. And then these cameras—“

“Ignore the robot; what’s this about another entrance!?” Tenko cut off Shuichi before he went into a long-winded explanation about his and Kaede’s plan. Keebo, on the other hand, muttered an apology before backing away from the group looking quite dejected.

Shuichi gave Keebo an apologetic look and continued. “Now that I think about it, it would be strange to only have one entrance to a secret room for when this happens. Anyone could easily prevent them from entering and leaving by standing... here...” His speech slowed as it became apparent he had an epiphany of sorts. “That’s it!”

“What? What!?” Kaede looked eager to hear what Shuichi had thought of, as did everyone else.

Shuichi turned to Rantaro. “Rantaro, can you and Keebo stay here?” Without waiting for a response, the detective turned to the other three. “I’ve got an idea. I’ll explain it on the way, but we need to get everyone now.”

Understanding the urgency, they nodded in unison, and the four of them left the library.

Rantaro had a feeling he knew what Shuichi’s plan was. Perhaps he should have been more trusting after all, considering how he almost got killed working by himself. He let out a frustrated sigh. Some good that Survivor’s Perk was. He was probably being played from the start.

“Is something the matter, Rantaro?” Suddenly, Keebo was standing next to him with a concerned look on his face.

He was just trying to look out for him, most likely, but Keebo’s inability to read the air only served to make Rantaro more frustrated right now. “Well, I almost died, for one thing.” That was a lie. While he did almost get killed, he was feeling oddly apathetic about it, almost as though it was a normal occurrence. Well, being the target of assassinations was pretty normal for him, so that might explain it.

The blunt response surprised Keebo. “R-right, that would be something to be bothered about. I just thought I detected an emotion that I thought wouldn’t normally be present in a scenario like this...” He pressed his fingers together, face turning slightly red. “It appears I was mistaken. My apologies, that was a pointless line of questioning.”

So he could hear the frustration in Rantaro’s sigh? That was rather impressive for a robot. “No, no, I should be the one apologizing. You saved my life, after all.”

Keebo blinked. “I did?”

“Well, yeah. Whoever was hiding behind that bookshelf couldn’t come out because then you’d be a witness.” Rantaro smiles warmly. “I should be thanking you. So... thanks, Keebo.”

The robot stared blankly for a moment, probably not realizing it for himself. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, Keebo suddenly took a proud stance, placing his hands on his hips. “You are most welcome, Rantaro! I’m glad I could be of some use! And I didn’t even need to use my talent!” He was grinning from ear to ear (or whatever those things were), so Rantaro couldn’t help but feel a bit happy himself. “Please don’t hesitate to call on me again if you ever need my assistance!”

Rantaro chuckled. “Haha, sure thing.”

He could never help but feel sorry for the poor guy. Keebo hadn’t been treated very well from the start due to his rather lackluster functions. This sudden display of pride was probably to boost his own self-esteem.

How did Rantaro know? Well, he wasn’t unfamiliar with the tactic. His younger siblings would do something similar all the time for various reasons. They would act as though they did something on purpose so they would look more reliable or smart or the like.

He wondered if he’d ever see them again.

...No, he _would_. He would never give up. _Never_. That was why he had to get out of this forsaken academy.

That was why he couldn’t just wait for time to run out. But...

“Umm... Rantaro?” Keebo’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts. “Is there... umm...” However, the robot’s voice trailed off. Judging by his now timid disposition (he sure did have a lot of mood swings for a robot), Rantaro had to guess he had another question, most likely about the face he was making right now.

Another sigh from Rantaro. Working alone didn’t seem to do him any good, so maybe it would be okay to confide in someone else. But, still...

_Tell this only to people you can trust._

He barely knew anyone here. How could he possibly trust them, especially when one of them tried to kill him? He couldn’t even trust “himself!” How irritating...

They were humans, though. Maybe he couldn’t trust a human, but a _robot_...

Rantaro looked at Keebo, who was still anxiously awaiting a response. “Hey, Keebo. Are you familiar with the Laws of Robotics?” It was probably better to phrase the question that way so he wouldn’t offend the robot for being presumptuous.

Said robot perked up, seemingly glad that Rantaro decided to confide in him. “Yes, of course! They are essential for all robots to know, after all!” He smiled... until he realized the subtext behind that question. “Are you... worried that I might try to harm you? I assure you, I would never break such important laws! My AI is programmed to abide by them!”

“Good to know.” Yes, Keebo was probably the most trustworthy student out of all of them. Oh, but... “How good are you at keeping secrets?”

Keebo tensed up, his confidence fading. “S-secrets? Well, umm...” Judging by his hesitation, he wanted to say yes so he could potentially be relied on. “I suppose I could partition information that is meant to be kept private. If I label them properly, then I will know that they should not be shared so freely. I would feel bad about omitting, since that is technically a form of lying, but if that is how I can earn your trust...”

Hmm... That was probably the best answer he was going to get out of Keebo. He was reluctant, but still willing. That was actually pretty admirable. Rantaro felt bad for putting the robot in such an uncomfortable position for his own sake.

He sighed. “Alright. I guess I can try trusting you... _if_ we survive.” He said, casually reminding Keebo that they were going to die in about thirty minutes.

“I suppose that is fair.” Keebo conceded. “But what should we do in the meantime? We were instructed to wait here.”

“That’s true...” He looked around the room. Now that he knew Shuichi and Kaede had something set up in this room, it was probably worth checking everything out. “Why don’t we try investigating?”

Keebo looked confused for a second before understanding what Rantaro was getting at. “Oh, I see! Someone had set up a trap for you, so maybe we can figure out who this mastermind is if we investigate!”

The mastermind, huh? “Are you sure we can assume that the mastermind is the person who set up this trap?”

“Huh? Who else would try to kill you?” Keebo was surprisingly naive, wasn’t he? How to explain this...

“You gotta try thinking outside the box, Keebo. Here, look.” Rantaro walked over to the bookcase with the camera. “This camera was obviously placed here to take pictures in secret... but the flash setting is on. Don’t you find that strange?”

“Hmm... yes, now that you mention it... Ah!” Keebo looked at the shot put ball, and then at the top of the bookcase. “Perhaps... whoever set it up was trying to use the flash to lure you into the shot put ball’s path!

“Well, it’s certainly possible that the one who set up the camera and the one who tried to kill me are the same person.” Rantaro nodded. “They would have to know about the camera in the first place. And if I’m right, _those two_...” He trailed off. Shuichi and Kaede probably set them up. Just shortly after the camera went off, those two appeared with Kaito and Tenko. Of the four, those two seemed to know more about what was going on. That, and Rantaro doubted Kaito and Tenko would’ve been able to set something like this up. No offense to them, of course.

“‘Those two?’” Keebo parroted, tilting his head.

“Kaede and Shuichi.”

The robot recoiled. “K-Kaede and Shuichi!? Are you suggesting one of them tried to kill you!?” He looked ready to deny it, but apparently thought better of it. “...Though it is difficult to believe they would do something like this, especially when Kaede’s been trying so hard to keep us together, it _would_ make sense. They never told anyone what they were planning. They just said they were going to find a way to end this. Logically, they could still be capable of pulling it off.

“Not only that, but I believe Shuichi said something about a sensor earlier. If I may be so presumptuous, it might be related to the camera. Perhaps when the sensor went off, one of them... oh.” Keebo frowned. “Where was the shot put ball? It would have to be moving with enough momentum to fatally wound you from the top of the bookcase.”

“That’s also a good point.” Rantaro folded his arms. It fell from the top of the bookcase, so...

Rantaro took a few steps back to get a better look and noticed something odd. It wasn’t just that bookcase, but all the other ones along the wall had a bunch of books stacked on top as well. They seemed to form a ramp leading from one end to the other. Or, more specifically, from that vent to where Rantaro was standing before.

“So that’s how it is...” He muttered to himself, though with the music blaring, he could barely hear himself.

But, ultimately, the trap failed. The shot put ball fell next to him. Considering the timing, Keebo didn’t have anything to do with the shot put ball missing him. But at the very least, his presence prevented anyone else from killing Rantaro.

Maybe he should let the culprit know their trap wouldn’t have killed him. They were probably aiming for the mastermind, after all. Rantaro just got in the way.

...If he hadn’t gone to the library, would the mastermind have done so? Could the killing game have been ended if he didn’t try to do anything? Was that the purpose of the Survivor’s Perk? If so, the mastermind was truly a crafty bastard.

No longer feeling any desire to investigate, Rantaro sat down in one of the chairs. The wrong way, of course, resting his head on his arms, which were resting on the back of the chair. Keebo looked very confused by this action. He probably didn’t understand why someone would sit like that. Surprisingly enough, he didn’t question it. Instead, he sat in another chair. The right way, of course.

“I just convinced Ryoma not to sacrifice himself, and then _this_ happens.” Rantaro chuckled bitterly. What a cruel joke. The mastermind probably had this planned all along.

“Umm... is that directed at me, or are you talking to yourself?” Keebo asked. Rantaro couldn’t see his face, but he assumed Keebo looked like he wanted to encourage him.

Deciding not to answer the robot’s question, he continued. “If we want to be sure that we’ll survive, someone has to be murdered. I thought I’d be able to find another way, but that turned out to be a bust. And there’s not enough time to search for that second entrance.” He turned to Keebo with a melancholic smile. “I’m pretty useless, aren’t I?”

“No!” Keebo shouted, surprising both of them. “You were at least trying to help! And since you’re a human, your options were limited.” Rantaro decided not to take that as an insult. “But... I could be doing something. I could have done something from the start...

“If I let myself be modified, I could go get help, or even get everyone out of here myself. But if I do something like that, I will feel even less like a human.” He paused briefly. “That’s pretty selfish, though, isn’t it?”

Rantaro was starting to _really_ feel sorry for this guy. It seems Kokichi had been putting pressure on him for kicks. Keebo just wanted to be seen as an equal, right? That wasn’t too much to ask for, was it? Keebo was a pretty sensitive robot, so he must have been taking the insults especially hard. And here he was, still trying to encourage Rantaro.

Rantaro mentally kicked himself. Even a robot like Keebo was a better person than he was... even if that personhood was debatable due to his artificial nature.

He nodded at Keebo’s question. “Yeah. Pretty selfish.” Keebo winced. “But even if you let yourself be modified, you’d have to deal with Monokuma and the Exisals.”

“Oh, that’s right. My body isn’t that strong, so I don’t think I would even be able to withstand many attacks.” Keebo shuddered.

“You don’t have to change yourself if you don’t want to.” Rantaro said. “You know Kokichi just says that stuff to irritate you, right?”

“I am aware of that, but still... if I don’t stick up for robots, things will never change!”

“Maybe you should just focus on surviving while we’re in here. There’s only sixteen of us, after all.”

“I suppose you are correct.” Keebo sighed. “I’m a little jealous of you, Rantaro.”

Rantaro’s eyes widened and he shook his head. “There’s no reason to be jealous of me.”

“That’s not true!” Once again, Keebo was being more assertive than he usually was. “You’re always so calm and levelheaded, and you never seem to be bothered by people like Kokichi. I find that admirable. It’s important to keep a clear head in times like these.” He gave Rantaro a small smile. “I feel like I could learn a lot from you. I wouldn’t mind having you as a teacher.”

Aw, how sweet. Rantaro felt his cheeks heat up a little. There was no way he could shoot down a compliment like that. “I’m flattered that you think that, Keebo.” Actually, now that he mentioned it... “You know, maybe I _could_ teach you a couple things when it comes to humans. Then people won’t be able to make fun of you for not being able to read the air.” If he had to be honest, they would probably make fun of him for other reasons... but Rantaro wasn’t going to mention that.

All of a sudden, Rantaro’s personal space was being severely invaded by a starry-eyed Keebo. “Really!? You’d really do that for me, Rantaro!?” He didn’t even let Rantaro open his mouth before continuing. “Thank you! Thank you so much! How can I ever repay you!?”

Ahaha... looks like there’s no turning back now. If he declined now, he wasn’t sure he’d be able to handle a heartbroken robot.

Still, this wasn’t so bad. It was like Rantaro gained a new little brother. And it might do them both some good to distract themselves from the dire circumstances they were currently in.

Wait, that’s right! He nearly forgot about the time limit! They might not even live long enough to...

Wait, huh?

The music had already stopped.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So. Most important thing.
> 
> Body or no body?
> 
> I was set with having a body, but then another idea came to me that would make for an interesting fic, I believe. Since both choices don’t really change the meat of the story, I don’t feel like I could write a fic for both options. So I’ll ask you guys for your opinion. I’ll still make the decision myself, but input would help.
> 
> Now for some other things...
> 
> Changes. Atua and Gonta’s manner of speaking.
> 
> I will not refer to Angie’s god as Atua out of respect for the real life religion he is associated with. I will not call him Kami-sama since I’m following the localization. I will not call him God, either. Instead, he’s just “Angie’s god.” That’s fair, isn’t it? I hope so.
> 
> Also, Gonta will speak normally in the third person. I figured you’d all like that better. I personally have no problem with the way the localization handled it, but I know tons of fans hate it, so...
> 
> Final thing. This chapter is to kinda test the waters and see how people feel about the restrictions I’ve placed on myself. I won’t put up another chapter until Chapter 1 is finalized.
> 
> ...I mean, you could treat it like a writing challenge with the restrictions, right?


	2. Chapter 1 - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so the responses have been much better than I expected, so I guess I don’t need to worry so much about the restrictions I’ve set.
> 
> Also, I said I wouldn’t update until I finished writing the rest of chapter 1, but I’ve spent so long on this part already, I really wanna get it out to see how you guys like it.

_***ding dong, dong ding!*** _

The monitor flickered to life, showing Monokuma.

_“A body has been discovered!_

_“...is what I’d **like** to say. No, I’d **love** to say it! But I can’t! Why? **Because no one’s dead**!”_

So... does that mean it worked? They were able to prevent the mastermind from accessing the hidden room and making more Monokumas?

_“I’d love to kill you all right now, as promised, but one of you guys decided to be smart, so now that can’t happen! Instead... please report to the gym! If you don’t, I’ll have one of my cute kids kill you!”_

The screen turned off, and Kaede let out a sigh of relief. She turned to Shuichi with a wide grin. “It worked, Shuichi! It worked!” Without thinking, she hugged her partner. “We’re still alive! No one died!”

Shuichi, on the other hand, seemed to be having trouble breathing. “K-Kaede... Umm... Could you maybe... give me some space...?”

“Huh?” Oh, crap! Once she realized she almost contradicted herself, she let go of Shuichi and took quite a few steps back. “I-I’m so sorry, Shuichi! I was just so relieved, I had to hug the nearest person!”

“It’s... it’s fine.” He claimed, though his face was completely red. Oh no, did she taint his innocence? Well, he already saw her panties, so she supposed it was fine. Besides, he was pretty cute when he was embarrassed...

Wait, what was she thinking!? She didn’t have time to mess around! They needed to get to the gym!

“Come on, Shuichi, let’s go!” Once again, without thinking, Kaede grabbed Shuichi by the hand and started dragging him off towards the gym.

Honestly, she was just really, _really_ glad that no one died. Even if she couldn’t kill the mastermind, at least no one died! They were still able to thwart them in that regard. And it was all thanks to Shuichi’s plan!

The plan was relatively simple, albeit risky. All sixteen students needed to pair off and spread out across the campus. That way, everyone could keep an eye on each other. If someone tried to leave, the other person would catch them! The mastermind wouldn’t be able to do anything!

The campus was big, though, so it was a little difficult to figure out where the best spots to go would be. In the end, they decided to choose the most suspicious parts of the school. It was really risky, but it was better than nothing.

Kaede and Shuichi chose to stake out Classroom 1-A like they already were. Angie Yonaga and Tsumugi Shirogane were just on the other side of the entrance hall, by the bathrooms. Kaito grabbed Maki Harukawa (he thought she might try to sneak off, and honestly, Kaede thought so, too) and went to the courtyard. Tenko made a break for the gym with Himiko Yumeno in tow. Given her remaining options, Miu Iruma decided to take Gonta Gokuhara to the lower courtyard where her lab was (Kaede prayed for Gonta’s innocence). As a result, Ryoma Hoshi and Korekiyo Shinguji were left to scout the second floor.

There was one person who just _wouldn’t_ cooperate, and that was Kokichi Oma, of course. He stayed cooped up in his room, refusing to come out. So Kirumi Tojo broke into his room and dragged him to the back of the courtyard by the boiler room. Apparently the Ultimate Maid was even able to lock pick. That concerned Kaede for many reasons, but she wouldn’t be surprised if Kokichi knew how to do that, too.

Anyways, the plan worked, so thinking about the flaws wasn’t necessary!

“What’s the rush, Kaede?” A familiar (and somewhat sickening) voice asked.

Kaede came to a halt upon hearing his voice and turned around. “R-Rantaro! And Keebo!” Then she realized she was holding Shuichi’s hand and let go. “Well, Monokuma told us to go to the gym or else we’d be punished, right?”

“True, but he just made that announcement, so there’s no need to hurry. You might make Shuichi pull a muscle.” Rantaro chuckled, pointing to the poor detective who was leaning against the wall, looking a bit frazzled.

Kaede blinked. “Oh! I’m so sorry, Shuichi!” Her own face was heating up with embarrassment now. “I’m just so relieved that nothing happened. To be honest, I was really worried that we would all get killed after all...”

“You were worried because your plan failed, correct?”

Kaede froze and looked at Keebo. She couldn’t read his expression, but that just made her feel like he was judging her. Those two probably did some investigating while they were down there.

Of course. Why didn’t she think about that? They must be mad at her for setting up that trap. Rantaro must be mad because he figured out she tried to kill him, even if the trap was meant for the mastermind and not him. They were probably going to tell everyone—

“He’s referring to what led you guys to the library.” Rantaro smiled, placing a hand on Keebo’s head. “We looked around at your setup. It was pretty clever. Better than what I had in mind, anyway.”

“Oh yeah... that...” The pianist laughed weakly. “W-well, that was all Shuichi’s idea. I just... helped set it up.” It was clear by the confused and somewhat frustrated look on the robot’s face that that was not what he was talking about. But for some reason, Rantaro decided to cover for her.

“Ah... yes, well... it’s about the only thing my talent is good for, after all.” Shuichi was being modest again. Well, no, he was also putting himself down. And he really needed to stop doing that! But before Kaede could scold him, he continued. “Anyways, we should get going, or else we might actually need to rush.”

“Right... good idea...” Thank goodness Shuichi could read the air, unlike a certain robot. That was going to be a common occurrence, wasn’t it?

Kaede sighed and once again headed towards the gym. More students were in the entrance hall now, including Kaito, Maki, Kokichi, and Kirumi.

Once they caught up to them, Kaito gave Shuichi a hearty slap on the back. “Great job, Shuichi! I knew you could do it!” As usual, Kaito was loud and somewhat annoying. But he was one of the most heartfelt students, so it was hard to dislike him. Plus, he seemed to share the same mindset as Kaede when it came to Shuichi’s abilities. Shuichi does deserve his talent, even if he doesn’t think so. And it’s definitely useful.

“Thanks, Kaito...”

Kaede couldn’t help but smile. In the presence of such colorful personalities, Shuichi became pretty shy. They’d have to work on that later.

Just out of curiosity, she glanced behind her to see Rantaro giving Keebo a talk of some sort. Judging by the guilty look on Keebo’s face, Rantaro was probably telling him that you can’t just say whatever comes to mind.

They already looked like brothers. Which was a relief, because Kaede was worried about Rantaro. It looked like he was starting to open up a little, if only to Keebo.

Unsurprisingly, Kokichi just _had_ to ruin the good mood.

“Hey, can’t the Exisals still kill us?” He asked innocently (and by “innocent” Kaede meant “not at all”). “Just because Monokuma can’t kill us with thousands of himself doesn’t mean we’re in the clear, y’know?”

Poor Shuichi sputtered. He probably thought Kokichi had a point. Before Kaede could defend him, Rantaro did.

“If that were the case, we’d be dead right now.” He rebutted.

“Yeah, but maybe he’s just getting our hopes up first, and when we get to the gym the Exisals will kill us!” Why did Kokichi have to laugh when he said that?

“Then we’ll just have to fight back like we originally planned!” Kaito said, pounding his fists together.

“Oh, really?” Kokichi didn’t sound impressed. “Didn’t you originally say ‘nobody told me about those’ when they first showed up?”

Kaito gritted his teeth. Kokichi was right. He did freak out when the Exisals showed up for the first time. “Sh-shut up! I’ll think of something!” Kaede assumed he couldn’t think of a better defense.

“Pardon the interruption, but I believe we should get going.” Kirumi politely interjected. “I fear what may happen if we do not obey Monokuma now. He appeared to be quite irritated...” As usual, she was calm and composed. But she also proved herself as a force to be reckoned with just a while ago...

Kokichi sighed in an exaggerated matter. “ _Fiiiine_ , Mom. I’ll stop teasing Kaito...”

Kaede caught the faintest twitch of an eyebrow from Kirumi, who turned and continued toward the gym.

“What’s wrong, Tsumugi?” Up ahead were Angie and Tsumugi. For some reason, they hadn’t moved very far from where they started. “You don’t want to die, right? So we should hurry! My god says Monokuma is very serious about his threat!”

Tsumugi seemed to be in a bit of a daze or something. Well, that was actually normal for her. She was pretty spacey.

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about what Monokuma could be up to.” She finally replied, before perking up. “Oh well. No sense in worrying about it, right? Alright, let’s go.”

Huh. That happened. It wasn’t really that out of the ordinary, but it still lingered in her head for some reason.

She shrugged. Oh well. No point dwelling on it.

Once everyone gathered in the gym, Monokuma made his appearance, along with the Monokubs, who seemed very eager to use their Exisals.

“Hey, Papa Kuma!” Monokid cried. “We can kill ‘em now, right!? Right!?” Yet another one of his guitars was snapped in two due to the bear’s excitement. Somehow, he always kept producing a new one out of nowhere.

Speaking of things coming out of nowhere, Monokid’s Exisal also suddenly appeared.

“Yeah, Pops! Let us handle these chumps!” Monosuke chimed in, summoning his Exisal as well.

Monophanie shuddered. “I... I don’t want to... I wouldn’t be able to handle all that blood and gore.“

Those things... were really annoying. The only decent one was the green one, and that was probably only because he didn’t talk at all. It felt like the Monokubs were supposed to provide comic relief, but they just get in the way and don’t contribute much of anything.

“Shut up!” Monokuma shouted, making his kids shrink back in fear. “You guys only come in when somebody breaks the rules! Other than that, you’re just extras!”

...Ah. That was a pretty flimsy excuse, to be honest.

“Anyways, congratulations, cheaters! You broke the game!” Though he said that with a cheerful voice, the words implied that Monokuma was anything but happy.

“Broke the game?” Kaede echoed.

“I think he’s referring to how we prevented the mastermind from making more Monokumas to kill us when time ran out.” Tsumugi offered. “But... we still don’t know where the second door is, so can you really say we broke the game?”

“It’s not like we can keep doing what we did 24/7.” Kokichi added a bit too cheerfully. “But, you know...” A sly smile formed on the boy’s face. “The mastermind could be heading there as we speak, preparing to kill us all.”

“Wh-wh-wh-what!?” Tenko screamed, making that... weird pose she usually does. “Why didn’t you say so earlier!?”

“If that were the case, we would have been killed the moment we set foot in the gym.” Korekiyo said. “Unless the passage to the mastermind’s room is in here, but I do not think Monokuma would be so foolish as to have us gather here if that were true.”

“O-oh, so, then... where’s the mastermind?” Tenko asked, twiddling her fingers nervously.

Kokichi scoffed. “Isn’t it obvious?”

All of a sudden, Kokichi’s face contorted into something horrific. If Kaede had to describe it, it was as though the devil was grinning.

**_“The mastermind is definitely one of the sixteen students participating in this killing game.”_ **

This was exactly what Kaede and Shuichi were hoping to avoid. Everyone figured the mastermind might be one of them, but it was also possible that they weren’t. Now it was all but confirmed. Already, she could feel the tension in the air rising as everyone became defensive.

“Now this is more like it!” Monokid laughed. “It’s startin’ to feel like a real killing game!”

“Puhuhuhu... Yep, I suppose this somewhat makes up for you guys cheating yourselves out of death.” Monokuma stood on the stage, snickering at the scene unfolding in front of him.

“W-wait... hold on, everyone...” Kaede scrambled to find the right words to put everyone at ease. She looked to Shuichi, who seemed just as lost.

Desperate, she looked to Rantaro and Keebo, who responded an apologetic face and a helpless face respectively.

Kaede clenched her fists. She was just going to have to make it up as she goes. She inhaled deeply and—

“My god says we should hold a class trial to determine the mastermind!”

Out of everyone, Angie was one of the last people she was expecting to hear from. Everyone looked to her as she cheerfully went on.

“If we do it right now, we don’t have to worry about it later when the mastermind can cover their tracks!”

The fifteen other students looked to each other with the same baffled expressions.

“But no one’s dead. How can we hold a class trial?” Tsumugi asked.

“Perhaps we can hold a trial for an _attempted_ murder.” Kaede’s blood ran cold. Once again, Keebo said something unnecessary... or at least, that’s what she wanted to think. But she could see what he was getting at. “Since no one is dead, none of our lives are at risk. We can safely try to deduce the mastermind there, as I believe they are one of the culprits.”

Ryoma seemed intrigued. “‘One of the culprits?’ What do you mean?”

“There were two attempts at murder on the same person.” Just as Kaede expected, that only confused the students even more.

Kirumi stepped forward. “Keebo, could you please elaborate? Who was almost murdered, and how does the mastermind fit in?”

Keebo faltered and looked at Rantaro, who stepped up. “I was almost murdered.”

“Whaaaat!?” Kokichi feigned surprise. “Rantaro, whose Ultimate talent hasn’t been revealed yet, was almost murdered!?”

“The reason we suspect the mastermind is becau—“

“Alright, that’s enough, robot!” Monokuma cut Keebo off, and began addressing all of the students. “I like Angie’s idea! And Keebo’s idea! Hmmm....” The bear appeared to be weighing his options before eventually coming to a decision.

“Okay, here’s what we’re gonna do!” He began. “It would be incredibly boring if we don’t have a trial soon, so we’re going to hold a mock trial!”

Kaede blinked. “A mock trial??”

Monokuma gleefully explained. “There were two attempts on Rantaro’s life. Your job is to investigate the scene and figure out who the culprits are! Oh, but obviously Rantaro is banned from participating since he’s supposed to be the victim. And Keebo’s a witness, so he can’t participate either.”

“Lucky bastards...” Miu glared at the two boys.

Keebo didn’t seem too eager about the revelation, either. “Wait, why am I not allowed to participate? Witnesses are important to solving cases!”

“Well, duh! Because you’d make things way too boring!” Kokichi responded with a big grin on his face. “You probably already investigated the scene yourself, so you’d just tell us everything you found out.”

“I fail to see why that is a bad thing...”

“Actually...” Kaede chimed in. “Kokichi kinda has a point. We should try to figure things out by ourselves instead of being told the answers. We need to learn to work together to find the truth!”

The robot’s shoulders dropped. “I see... You do raise a good point, Kaede.”

”Hey, what about me!?” Kokichi whined.

Keebo glared at the supposed evil supreme leader. “Her explanation was far more useful than yours.”

“No more complaints? Good. If I catch anyone trying to get Rantaro and Keebo to talk...” Monokuma unsheathed his claws. “Well, I’m sure you know the drill by this point. Same thing applies to you two trying to give hints. Now, everyone who isn’t the victim or key witness, go to the library while I prepare a Monokuma File.” With that, Monokuma vanished, leaving the Monokubs behind.

“Ah, Father, wait for us!” Monotaro called as he and his siblings vanished, too.

It was just the sixteen students now, who warily eyed each other.

“We should probably listen to Monokuma...” Shuichi said. “I think he might punish us if we don’t go.”

“Maybe he’ll get so impatient he’ll just kill someone anyway!” Kokichi chuckled, resting his hands behind his head. “I don’t wanna be killed, so I’m gonna go now. Himiko, you better go fast!”

As Kokichi left the gym, Himiko continued to wear the same deadpan expression she always wore. “What a pain... I guess I’ll have to use my Hedgehog Spell—“

“That won’t be necessary, Himiko!” Tenko grabbed the magician’s hand a little too eagerly. “I’ll help you conserve your magic!”

“N-nyeh!?” Poor Himiko... She was dragged off once again by an overzealous Tenko. If Kaede had to guess, Tenko probably took Kokichi’s words seriously. That, and she probably wanted to be appreciated by Himiko.

Miu groaned in an exaggerated manner. “Uggh... Why do _I_ have to investigate, too?”

“Kehehe... You are more than welcome to test Monokuma’s patience, if you wish.” Korekiyo chuckled.

“At least you’d be making yourself useful that way.” Maki, that was a little too mean...

“Heeee!” Miu started tearing up. “I-I-I was just joking... You d-don’t have to go that far...”

At this point, Kaede was reminded of just how many eccentric people there were. She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t a little concerned about how the trial would go. But it was fine! As long as the sixteen—or rather, fourteen—of them worked together, they’d weed out the mastermind, no problem!

She was just afraid of how everyone would react to learning that she was one of the culprits.

The students began leaving the gym, with the exception of Kaede, Shuichi, Rantaro, and Keebo.

If Rantaro knew Kaede was the one who set up the trap, he wasn’t showing any signs of it. “We’ll be rooting for you two.” He offered a friendly smile that only served to make Kaede feel nauseous. Why was he so calm about this? Was this his way of getting revenge? No, Rantaro didn’t seem like that kind of person, but at the same time she couldn’t be sure.

A deep pit formed in her stomach.

“Kaede? Are you okay?” The person in question jumped upon being addressed. That in turn made Shuichi jump, too. “S-sorry! Did I scare you?”

She had to make this feeling go away. “You say that, but didn’t you also jump just now?” She teased, making the detective blush a little. “Anyways, I’m fine. I was just... thinking about who the mastermind could be.”

“Are you sure you’re okay? You look rather pale.” Kaede paled even more at that, and Keebo started drawing conclusions on his own. “O-oh! Was it something I said again!?” The robot fidgeted. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t want to hide information that could benefit everyone... I had no intention of upsetting you, but it was the most logical thing to do.”

“I’m sure she’s just a little tired from all this running around.” Why was Rantaro trying to cover for her? She just couldn’t understand it.

“Y-yeah, that’s it.” Kaede decided to go with it anyways. “Plus, all this excitement is kinda tiring, too.” But the feeling still wouldn’t go away. It was like Rantaro was looking right through her.

She couldn’t take it anymore. “I’m so sorry, Rantaro!”

She turned tail and ran.

*******

  
“Ah, Kaede, wait up!” Shuichi ran after Kaede, who fled the gym. He glanced back at Rantaro and Keebo one last time before exiting.

Keebo blinked. What just happened? Kaede was clearly upset about something. She apologized to Rantaro, so... did she just indirectly admit her guilt? He looked to Rantaro for some sort of explanation, but he seemed preoccupied.

He had an intense look in his eyes, the exact opposite of his normally carefree self. What was on his mind?

Before Keebo could ask, Rantaro headed out as well. Once again, the robot’s inner voice urged him to follow, and so he did. He had to prove himself, after all! If he wasn’t allowed to participate in the trial, then he’d just help out Rantaro instead!

“Where are we going, Rantaro?” Keebo asked once he caught up.

Rantaro didn’t show any sign that he was listening, but still responded. “To the mastermind’s room.”

“Do you know wh—“ Rantaro slapped his hand over Keebo’s mouth, muffling him.

“Be quiet!” He whispered in an unusually forceful tone. Keebo obeyed, though he did not have much of a choice anyway.

Once they reached the lounge by the dining hall, they started to hear voices echoing from not too far away.

“Kaede, are you alri—oh, Maki was in there, too?” The surprised voice was Shuichi. So Kaede and Maki were in the bathroom? That wasn’t too unusual, right?

“Y-yeah. Just a coincidence.” Kaede’s voice was a little shaky for some reason. “Let’s go, Shuichi.”

Suddenly, a set of rapid footsteps approached the three. “There you are! And Kaede and Shuichi are here, too? Don’t tell me all three of you were going to the bathroom?” That loud and upbeat voice could only belong to Kaito.

“N-no, Just Kaede... and Maki, too.” Shuichi sounded a little unnerved. Well, Keebo knew that the bathroom was one of many sensitive topics among humans. Not that he quite understood _why_ that was. Defecating was a natural part of life. Why be so embarrassed about it?

But he digressed.

“Right, gotcha. Anyways, Maki, don’t disappear like that! I was worried!” Kaito was scolding Maki, who scoffed.

“You’re not my dad.” Well, of course he wasn’t. That was obvious just by looking at him. Not to mention it was physically impossible since they were probably close in age.

Kaito was undeterred. “Yeah, well, we all gotta work together! You can’t say it doesn’t work after we just stopped the mastermind from killing us!” Keebo only wished he could sound that confident, even if Kaito’s logic was flawed at times... a lot of the time.

“That’s right, Maki!” Kaede seemed to have recovered from whatever was upsetting her and chimed in. “We just need to keep at it, and we’ll be out of here in no time!”

“You guys are too optimistic.” Maki sighed.

Kaito laughed. “Maybe you’re just not optimistic enough! Come on, Monokuma’s getting impatient!”

“Fine, whatever.”

Four sets of footsteps gradually faded.

After making sure the four were no longer on this floor, Rantaro walked to the bathrooms where the conversation had just taken place.

“Do you need to use the bathroom, too?” The robot asked.

Rantaro went for the girl’s bathroom.

“Wh-wh-what are you doing!?” Keebo cried. “Boys can’t use the girl’s bathroom!”

Rantaro simply smiled. “What about you, Keebo?”

“Huh?”

“Do you consider yourself a boy or a girl?”

Huh. That was a good question. Everyone referred to him as a male, so he just started referring to himself as a male, too. He didn’t quite think about it in depth. “Well, since I am a robot, I have no biological sex...”

“Then you should be fine, right?” Rantaro was still smiling.

What was this unsettling feeling? He was smiling, yet Keebo felt what one would refer to as a “shiver down his spine.”

But Rantaro made a solid point. Keebo could probably use whichever bathroom he wanted... not that he’d ever need to.

“Very well, I shall go in your place! What are you expecting to find?”

“A hidden door, or course.”

“And you suspect it might be in here?” Keebo tilted his head, not quite following Rantaro’s logic.

“Call it a hunch. Now, will you go?” For some reason, Keebo felt like he wasn’t in the position to decline even if he wanted to.

“Y-yes...” He’d swallow if he was capable of doing so. This felt... wrong. But his inner voice was also telling him to go, too. So he did.

At a glance, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. Then again, that was the entire point if there truly was a hidden door here.

He checked the stalls, first. There really wasn’t any room for a door. He could have sworn he saw small dark spots on the floor of the second stall, but the lighting was too terrible to tell.

Ugh. He couldn’t find anything. How was Keebo going to tell Rantaro that he failed him, even after he was kind enough to teach him some tips on investigating?

Just as he was about to report to Rantaro, Keebo’s inner voice spoke up. It told him to check more thoroughly.

That’s right! Once wasn’t enough! Even if it was a little scary, he had to check every nook and cranny!

This time, he started with the utility closet. It was unsuspecting, but so was the bookcase in the library! Maybe there was something here that made the wall open up—

“Woah!” He tripped a switch of some sort, causing the wall to slide open, which in turn caused Keebo to fall over with a large crash.

Hearing the noise, Rantaro ran inside. “Keebo, are you okay!?”

The robot grunted. “...I appear to be undamaged, but thank you for your concern.” Shaking his head, Keebo pushed himself off the ground in to a kneeling stance, seeing the secret passage for himself.

He... he did it! He found the second entrance to the mastermind’s room! “Rantaro, look! This must be what we were looking for!” He jumped to his feet, feeling more excited than he ever had before.

Well, he felt excited, but at the same time, he didn’t, really. Emotions usually affected the body. That is why there are so many expressions related to them. But Keebo couldn’t feel that. Even now, when he felt so excited, he did not actually _feel_ excited. He did not feel like jumping for joy. He did not feel hyperactive.

Rantaro chuckled. Was there something amusing about what he said?

“Anyways, we should check it out, right, Rantaro?” Keebo asked, though he was already preparing to go in.

Rantaro nodded. “Right.” He walked past Keebo, ruffling his hair as he did so. What kind of gesture was that...? That was typically reserved for younger siblings, right?

After they entered, the wall slid back to its original position, concealing the passage once again. It seemed that on the inside, there was a far more obvious switch to open it. That made sense.

On the other side of the passage was a large room. The way it was decorated was reminiscent of a stereotypical girl’s room. Odd. It didn’t really look like a mastermind’s room.

There was a large object with a red sheet covering it. That was clearly the most suspicious thing in the room.

The duo walked over to it.

“What do you suppose is under there?” Keebo asked.

“Let’s find out.” Rantaro replied as the two pulled the sheet off.

“Oh no! You found me!”

It was a giant Monokuma head. It didn’t sound that concerned, though...

Rantaro did not seem the slightest bit surprised. “Are you the machine that makes spare Monokumas?”

“Well, specifically, the machine behind me makes the spares. But I’m the one who controls it.” The machine replied. “I’m Motherkuma! Nice to meetcha!”

“The pleasure’s all mine.” Was it really a pleasure? Why were they suddenly being friendly with each other?

“Ya know, I wasn’t expecting you to actually make it here.” Motherkuma said. “You _were_ supposed to die, but thanks to that hunk of junk next to you, that didn’t happen.”

“Excuse me!? Who are you calling junk!?” Keebo shouted. “At least I can move, unlike you!”

“I don’t need to! You see, I watch over this entire academy and tell Monokuma what’s up.” Motherkuma sounded like it was boasting. “I can see _e-very-thing_!”

“E-everything!? How!?”

“That’s a trade secret!” Motherkuma laughed, which only served to anger Keebo even more.

This thing had a lot of nerve to mock him! He was about to give it a piece of his mind when Rantaro cut in.

“What do you mean, I was supposed to die?” He asked in his usual calm manner (though something sounded a _little_ off). “Was the Survivor Perk just a trap to kill me off early?”

“Puhuhuhu! That’s right! Did you _really_ think there was a way to end the killing game early?” It laughed. “As if! Even if you kill my master, the game won’t end! In fact, aside from me, my master is the only one who knows how to get out of here! You won’t be able to find it on your own!”

Rantaro muttered something under his breath, though Keebo couldn’t quite hear what it was.

“What if you get destroyed?” He asked.

“Oh, well, then the killing game can’t be monitored, which would be bad for my master and Monokuma. But you also won’t be able to access the exit. So, if you wanna destroy me, be my guest! Just remember that you’ll be trapping yourself in this academy permanently by doing that!”

“In other words, if we want to escape, you have to be functioning.” Rantaro summarized.

“Correctamundo!”

Keebo listened to the back-and-forth. There was so much he didn’t understand, he didn’t know where to start. But he was certain of one thing: Motherkuma had to be destroyed. He didn’t even need his inner voice to tell him that (which it did).

“Rantaro, I understand that we have been trying to escape, but wouldn’t it be more logical to ensure everyone’s safety first? Besides, Motherkuma may be lying.” Keebo explained. “However, we can be certain that it controls the machine behind it, so if we destroy it, then more Monokumas can’t be made, which will greatly increase our chances of survival.”

The robot shuddered when Rantaro’s intense gaze fell upon himself. Was he upset? Well, of course he was upset, apparently his actions had been calculated by the mastermind from the start.

That was an impressive feat. Was the mastermind someone Rantaro knew? He had amnesia (though it was in regards to his talent), so it was certainly possible that Rantaro doesn’t remember them.

Rantaro continued to look between the two machines. It seemed like he was forming an idea. Eventually, he sighed. “Keebo, do you know anything about computers?”

Oh dear... he wasn’t going to be happy with Keebo’s answer. “I’m afraid my knowledge of computers is minimal. Oh, but I’m sure Miu knows a lot about them!” Wait a second... “Er, what does this have to do with...?” He trailed off, noticing his friend’s expression.

Rantaro seemed troubled. He folded his arms, lost in thought. Did Motherkuma’s words bother him that much? Keebo wished he could understand why. He himself wanted to escape, but if that meant continuing this atrocious game...

It just wasn’t right. Besides, people would come and rescue them sooner or later. Professor Idabashi certainly would not give up until he found his son (that was Keebo, of course). Did Rantaro not have anyone like that, and that was why he didn’t think the same?

No, that was not for him to make assumptions about.

“Cut the wires, Keebo.” Keebo was not sure if he was going to be able to get used to hearing Rantaro using such a forceful-sounding voice.

“Eh?”

“Cut the wires.”

“O-okay...” He made his way behind the definitely inferior AI, to the wires. How exactly did Rantaro expect the robot to cut these right now?

It didn’t really matter in the end, as Keebo had just the thing for this! Finally, he could show off another function! He produced a wire cutter from one of his fingers. He glanced at Rantaro, but he didn’t show any signs of being impressed.

Keebo sighed. Oh well. He returned his gaze to the wires and began cutting. This wasn’t the same as destroying Motherkuma, but it should do _something_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Keebo: Everyone poops. What’s the big deal?  
> Also Keebo: BOYS CAN’T ENTER THE GIRL’S BATHROOM
> 
> I hope you’re starting to notice this fic’s gimmick. It makes it a lot more fun to write, I think.
> 
> The next part should be the last one for Chapter 1. Maybe. Might be two more parts.
> 
> I hope you’re enjoying it so far! Please leave feedback if you can!


	3. Chapter 1 - Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I already feel like I need to rewrite this whole thing. I swear, once we get past chapter 1, it’ll get a lot better. So, for now, please bear with me.

“Puhuhu... Guess you don’t wanna leave _that_ much...” Motherkuma laughed as the last wire was cut, and then it shut down for good.

Rantaro sighed. He _did_ want to leave. He _had_ to leave. He _had_ to find them. But he also knew it was a terrible idea to allow that machine to keep running.

He wanted to leave, but he needed to survive in order to do that. If this would increase his chances of survival, he had to take it.

Besides, it’s not like it was completely hopeless. Not when they had the Ultimate Inventor with them, vulgar as she was. And they also had...

“Rantaro?”

Ah, he must have been making a scary face again. Keebo sure was a worrywart.

“I’m fine.” He quickly reassured the robot. “It’s just a little frustrating having to delay our escape. But this is for the best.”

Keebo immediately brightened up, nodding enthusiastically. “Right! If Monokuma cannot monitor us, then we have a lot more freedom!” He looked quite pleased with himself.

“By the way, my hands are multi-tools! Each finger has a different tool, giving me twenty at my disposal!” Keebo boasted. “It was a good thing you chose to rely on me, or else we might have been at a severe disadvantage!”

While anyone else may have found this to be annoying, Rantaro thought it was rather charming. He totally was an insecure little brother.

Rantaro chuckled. “Yeah, thanks, Keebo. Couldn’t have done it without you.”

_**“Argh! Do you have any idea what you’ve done!?”**_ A new voice rose from the floorboards. It belonged to a rather furious Monokuma.

“Made things inconvenient for you?” Rantaro answered, clearly sarcastic.

“Yes! Now the killing game will be a complete mess!”

“Then why don’t you just let us go?” Rantaro suggested. “Wouldn’t it be a hassle to try and keep things running smoothly now?”

“Uh-uh! No way! The show must go on!”

“The ‘show?’” Rantaro echoed. “Is this being broadcasted?”

“Puhuhu... Who knows?” Monokuma giggled. “That’s for you to find out!

“Anyways, you may have made things more annoying, but this killing game ain’t over until I say so! Or until there’s only two survivors or one blackened remaining. It’s a good thing I’ve got a backup plan! And...!” Monokuma snapped his... paws? Er, whatever he did, the Monokubs made their appearance when he did it. “Hey, kids, make yourselves useful and take these two somewhere they won’t bother anyone!”

“Alllllriiighty!” Monokid cheered. “Leave the Monodam-lookalike to me!”

They were practically shoved out of the room all the way back outside the girl’s bathroom. The Monokubs didn’t stop there, though. Instead, they kept going towards the entrance.

“Umm... Where are we going, exactly?” Keebo asked. Rantaro was wondering the same thing, to be honest.

“Youse two will have the pleasure of waiting in the trial grounds all by yourselves!” Monosuke explained.

“It’s just for a little bit, though.” Monophanie added. “Everyone else will gather when Daddy—“

“Oh booooy! Keeboy got _busted_!” Kokichi appeared seemingly out of nowhere, pointing and running towards the group with a wide grin. “Hey, what’d ya do? Did you attack Monokuma with your EMP hands?”

“I do not have—“ Keebo began, but stopped to look at his right hand. He shook his head and glared back at Kokichi. “I did no such thing!”

“Oh, right, an EMP would break you, too, wouldn’t it?” Kokichi innocently tilted his head. “That’s too bad. You could’ve singlehandedly taken down Monokuma, the Monokubs, and the Exisals, saving us from any danger.”

Rantaro sighed. They didn’t have time for this. Kokichi would keep this up all day if they let him. “Well, he’s been more useful than you so far.” Rantaro shot back, earning shocked looks from both Keebo and Kokichi.

“Wh-what?” Tears started forming in the checkered boy’s eyes. “H-h-how could you... s-say something like that? Is this what you’re really like, Rantaro...?” He started bawling, much to the Monokubs’ (and Keebo’s) annoyance.

“BULLYING-IS-UNACCEPTABLE.” For the first time, Monodam spoke, and it was to scold Rantaro.

Rantaro simply shrugged. “He was doing it first.”

Monosuke tried to cover his ears. “Ugggh, shut up, will ya!? No one’s fallin’ for your crocodile tears!”

“What is going on here, Kokichi?” Kirumi, who seemed to be struggling to hold a bunch of shot put balls, walked in on this disaster.

Kokichi ran up to Kirumi, hugging her. “Rantaro’s bullying me! He called me useless!”

“I didn’t say that.”

“Well you said Keebo’s been more help than I have, and he’s useless! So if he’s more useful than me, that makes me useless!” It was almost impressive how Kokichi kept finding new ways to insult Keebo.

Meanwhile, Kirumi was trying her best not to drop everything she was holding on Kokichi. “Perhaps... you could change that by helping with the experiment...” She replied with a small grunt, nodding towards the shot put balls. Odd. Even if Kirumi was struggling, she’d never ask for help. “Also... I do not think it is wise to engage Rantaro and Keebo during the investigation. Remember what Monokuma said.”

Kokichi immediately stopped crying and let go. “What? The Ultimate Maid needs help?” He gasped, clearly faking the surprise. “How can you call yourself a maid?”

As Kirumi gritted her teeth and patiently replied, Rantaro crouched down to the Monokubs’ level and whispered. “Now’s our chance. Let’s get out of here.”

They all nodded and immediately made a break for it.

“H-hey!” It seemed like Kokichi actually didn’t expect that, which was good, since it left him stunned for a few seconds. Thankfully, he didn’t give chase. Rantaro had to assume that either Kirumi or Monokuma stopped him.

Once they made it out of the school and to the courtyard, Rantaro paused to catch his breath. He needed to thank Kirumi later for swallowing her pride to provide that opening.

“Wow, you’re really out of shape, aren’t ya?” Monotaro shook his head disapprovingly.

“I’m not one for exercising.” Rantaro admitted.

“But Rantaro, exercise is very important for humans! It keeps your body healthy and strong!” Keebo argued.

“I know, I know.” He sighed, rubbing the back of his head. “Anyways, let’s hurry to this trial ground.”

Honestly, this whole day has been wearing on him quite a bit. From failing to find the mastermind to failing to end the killing game, from almost getting killed to everything Motherkuma said... He needed a break with no worries. No time limits, no masterminds, nothing.

Rantaro chuckled to himself. If he was already cracking in less than a week, how was he supposed to survive longer than that?

“Rantaro, what is this ‘Survivor Perk’ that you mentioned back in the mastermind’s room?” Keebo suddenly asked.

Right, he still had to explain everything to Keebo... This trial grounds would be the perfect place to do so. “I’ll tell you once we get down there.”

The Shrine of Judgement was definitely... something. Keebo expressed disgust at the “tasteless statue,” to which the Monokubs disagreed. While the bridge was stretching out, the six robots (well, five, since Monodam went silent again) argued about the statue.

Rantaro, meanwhile, wondered about the mechanism controlling the statue and bridge. The statue moved in a very life-like manner, despite being made of some type of rock (most likely marble). How did it work? Miu would probably love to take a look at it.

They stepped across the bridge and into the elevator, which began its descent. The robots were still arguing, but now it was about whose design was superior. It was actually pretty interesting to listen to, even if Rantaro didn’t understand all the terms being thrown around. Again, Miu would probably love to join in.

  
The elevator came to a stop, and the door opened, revealing what almost looked like an arena. Sixteen podiums formed a circle, with a cozy-looking red chair in the back of the room. It looked like there were stands for the Monokubs, too.

...Wait a second.

One of the podiums had a stand in it. It displayed a picture of someone, and that someone just happened to be Rantaro. Except the frame was decorated as though he was dead... And there was a big “X” crossing his face out.

He looked at the Monokubs. “What’s with the stand?”

Monosuke adjusted his glasses. “Well, whenever someone dies, we put a stand in their spot. It makes it feel like they’re still there, ya know?”

“And since I’m the ‘victim,’ there’s a stand in my place.” That made sense.

Keebo seemed puzzled. “It appears that I have a stand, too. But it looks different from Rantaro’s.”

The stand in question had Keebo’s picture in it... only he didn’t have his face crossed out like Rantaro’s.

“That’s ‘cause you’re not dead!” Monokid answered. “Geez, you’re just as dumb as Monodam!”

Monodam and Keebo seemed to exchange sympathetic looks (it was hard to tell with Monodam, but Rantaro assumed they understood what the other had to put up with).

“Okay! We did our job, so we’ll be leaving now! We gotta get those photos developed!” Monophanie said.

**“So long, bearwell!”**

The Monokubs left... with the exception of Monotaro, who was still standing there for some reason.

“Huh? How’d they do that?” Did he suddenly forget how to disappear like the others?That was... pretty sad. He glanced around the trial grounds, and then back at the two students. “Hey, um, it looks like you don’t have anywhere to sit. I can go grab some chairs for you!”

“That’s awfully considerate of you.” At least he wouldn’t have to stand the whole time.

“What about that chair over there?” Keebo pointed to the red chair in the back.

Monotaro looked where Keebo pointed. “Oh. Yeah. I guess one of you could sit there.”

Keebo turned to Rantaro. “I do not mind standing, as I don’t feel the same exhaustion you would from standing too long. Though I’m afraid you won’t be able to sit backwards.”

Rantaro snorted, much to Keebo’s confusion. “That’s fine. It’s just a habit, anyway. Probably not good for my back.” He was pretty sure this seat belonged to Monokuma, but he wasn’t here right now. It would be okay to sit in it for now, right? At least, until everyone else arrives? Ah, well, he was already heading for it, so it was too late to turn back.

Monotaro smiled once Rantaro made himself comfortable. “Okie-dokie! I’ll go get another chair! **So long, bearwell!** ” Apparently he remembered how to leave like the other Monokubs. Was his memory just faulty?

Finally, some peace and quiet. Rantaro let out a really long sigh. That was exhausting. But it still wasn’t time to relax, unfortunately.

“Keebo.” He called the robot over, pulling out that Monopad and handing it to him. “Here.”

Keebo turned it on. It was clear by the look on his face that what he saw wasn’t what he was expecting. “Survivor Perk?” He scrolled through it. “This is... a map of the academy? There appears to be a lot we haven’t seen yet. Perhaps that is what the construction is for... oh! That’s the room we were in!” The robot perked up, flipping the Monopad so Rantaro could see. He pointed to the room connecting to the library. “So this is how you knew about it.”

Rantaro rubbed the back of his head. “Yeah, while Shuichi figured it out in a day by himself.”

Keebo up from the Monopad. “You make it sound as though you’re somehow inferior to Shuichi. You both knew about it, so does it really matter that much how you found it?”

As much as Rantaro appreciated Keebo’s attempt to make him feel better, it wasn’t really doing him any good. “Keep scrolling down.”

Keebo did as instructed and his eyes widened. “‘Clue to end the killing game...’ What is this?”

“I’m not so sure anymore.” Rantaro grumbled. “It was the only lead I had, so I took it, and almost died for it.” Just talking about it made him feel even worse about himself. Keebo did say it was better than doing nothing, but that was a bit hard to swallow coming from someone who _also_ had low self-esteem.

“You won’t have to worry about that anymore, Rantaro! After all, I’m here! As long as I’m around, I will not allow any harm to come to you!” Rantaro blinked in surprise as the robot looked at him with a rather boastful smile. “You have my word!”

Rantaro felt his face heating up. Geez, Keebo had no problem saying such embarrassing things, did he? Of course, since it was Keebo, there was probably no subtext hidden in those words (thankfully). Didn’t make it any less embarrassing, though.

It was kinda nice to have someone to watch his back, though. Made him feel a little safer. He’d have to make sure to look out for Keebo, too. He didn’t seem to be as naive as Gonta, but he could still get into trouble all the same for entirely different reasons.

“Still, the implications of that Monopad concern me.” Keebo abruptly changed the topic. “Calling it a Survivor Perk makes it sound as though this isn’t your first time participating in a killing game.”

Rantaro folded his arms, thinking about it. “Yeah. I don’t remember anything about that, though. But it would explain why this seems so familiar.”

“Not only that, but it sounds like this was a reward. That would mean you won the previous killing game by surviving... but instead of escaping, you were forced to participate in another killing game.”

Rantaro’s face darkened. “Was I really forced?”

As expecting, making such a comment caused Keebo to gape at him. “Wh-what are you saying!? Who would _willingly_ participate in something like this!?”

“The same people who—“

“M-maybe we should save this discussion for later.”

Now it was Rantaro’s turn to stare at the other in disbelief. “What?”

“We just got here, s-so we do not have much information to go on. It... it would be illogical to start jumping to conclusions... b-based on that Monopad alone...”

Rantaro blinked. Keebo’s disposition completely changed. Just a moment ago, he appeared to be invested in solving this mystery. But now... he wasn’t very eager to continue the discussion. At the same time, however, he didn’t look like he agreed with what he was saying. Was he lying? Or at least attempting to? What he said was completely out of character, too.

...Or was it? Now that he thought about it, Keebo had a point. Could they really make all these deductions from the Survivor Perk alone? If Shuichi were here, maybe... Rantaro certainly wasn’t an Ultimate Detective himself, so for all he knew he could just be grasping at straws here.

If only he could talk to Shuichi about this. But it was too risky...

Rantaro slumped in his seat. “Yeah, you’re probably right. I could be completely off base.” He chuckled bitterly. “Why should anyone listen to a guy who can’t even remember his own talent?” He wasn’t exactly the most reliable person. If he was... well, he wouldn’t feel so pressured to escape, and he’d be feeling a lot better about himself.

“Yeah, I wonder why?” Suddenly, an angry Monokuma was right in front of him. Keebo let out a small cry of shock and took several steps away.

“Look! Rantaro’s the mastermind!” The elevator door opened, revealing the fourteen other students who were going to participate in the trial. Unsurprisingly, Kokichi saw Rantaro in the important-looking chair and probably decided to have some fun.

Rantaro decided to join in on the fun, if only to take his mind off of the conversation with Keebo. If he was lucky, one of the Monokubs would slip up and clear him of suspicion. “Yep. You got me. I’m the mastermind.”

Kokichi looked delighted and turned to the others. “Did ya hear that? Rantaro’s the mastermind! Case closed! No need for a trial!”

“Rantaro, is that true!?” Gonta cried. “Are you the mastermind!?” Was he even aware that there was a mastermind?

“Of course he isn’t, you idiots!” Monosuke answered, showing up along with the other Monokubs. “Ya really think it’d be that obvious!?”

“Oh, so Rantaro isn’t the mastermind! That’s good!” Gonta looked relieved.

“M-Monosuke! You can’t just give away the answer like that!” Monophanie scolded her brother.

“So Monosuke was telling the truth? Good to know!” Yep. Just like clockwork. Kokichi seemed satisfied.

Monophanie realized her mistake. “Oh, shoot!”

“I’m surrounded by idiots. Adorable idiots.” Monokuma groaned. “Alright, hurry up and find your podium so we can get started. I don’t got all day.”

“Oh, that reminds me!” Monotaro presented an armchair placed next to Rantaro’s own chair. “I brought the other chair!”

Keebo looked quite pleased. “Ah, thank you!” For someone who supposedly doesn’t suffer the same aches that humans do, he was pretty quick to sit down, complete with a content sigh.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” Kokichi protested. “How come they get to sit down and we have to stand!?”

Himiko nodded. “Standing is a pain... literally. My back starts to hurt if I stand for too long.”

“Yeah!” Tenko chimed in. “Let the girls sit down! Or at least let Himiko!”

Monokuma was really getting sick of this. “Argh! Shut up, all of you!” He turned to the group of students who weren’t sitting out. “You don’t get chairs! And they weren’t supposed to get chairs either! And, most importantly, I’m supposed to be sitting in that chair! It’s my spot!”

“Oh, right. And Ryoma’s so short, there’s probably no chair tall enough for him. It wouldn’t be fair if he was the only one standing.” Kokichi giggled.

Ryoma turned away. “I’m just going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

Rantaro was actually starting to feel a little sorry for Monokuma. If this really isn’t the only killing game, chances are he’s been through this many, many times before. That is, assuming he retained his memories from any previous killing games. And also assuming he hosted any killing games before now.

Regardless, this was going to be a _long_ trial.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s actually pretty difficult to determine how smart Keebo is. It’s just plain difficult to write Keebo, actually. How oblivious is he? How much does he know about social interaction? All that stuff. So I can never tell if I’m giving him too much credit, or not enough. Stupid inner voice making it impossible to tell how much of Keebo’s thoughts were actually his own.
> 
> So, um... Yeah. Obviously chapter 1 isn’t finished. It might be a couple more parts, I think? I didn’t plan out chapter 1 all that much, to be honest. I was just expecting to skip to the important bits, but with what I’ve written, I feel obligated to get everything else, too.
> 
> ...Anyways, I hope this is still good. I’m really trying my best here.


End file.
